Background:
COVID-19 outbreak and the followed confinement measures have raised concerns to specialists worldwide regarding the imminent increase in domestic violence cases. The present systematic ...review aims to identify the international trends in domestic violence during the COVID-19 epidemic and to examine the possible differences among all population groups and different geographic areas worldwide.
Method:
The following databases were accessed: DOAJ, ERIC, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Pubmed, PsycNet, and SCOPUS, up to July 22, 2020.
Results:
A total of 32 studies were considered eligible. Data from North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific Area, Africa, and worldwide researches were retrieved. COVID-19 has caused an increase in domestic violence cases, especially during the first week of the COVID-19 lockdown in each country. In children, however, although the specialists’ estimations suggested an increase in child maltreatment and abuse cases, the rate of police and social services’ reports has declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. School closures that isolated students at home seemed to have contributed to this decrease.
Conclusions:
Domestic violence has been a considerable issue imposed by the COVID-19 epidemic to a worldwide context. The home confinement led to constant contact between perpetrators and victims, resulting in increased violence and decreased reports. In order to minimize such issues, prevention measures and supporting programs are necessary.
Abstract Purpose Online communication tools, such as social networking sites (SNS), have been comprehensively embraced by adolescents and have become a dominant daily social practice. Recognizing SNS ...as a key context of adolescent development, this study aimed to investigate associations between heavier SNS use, and adolescent competencies and internalizing problems. Methods Data was collected in six European countries: Greece, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, and Iceland. Participants were 10,930 adolescents aged 14–17 years (F/M: 5,719/5,211; mean age 15.8 ± .7 years); 62.3% were aged 14–15.9 years and 37.7% were aged 16–17.9 years. Participants reported on their use of online communication tools, and their general competencies and internalizing problems (Youth Self Report). Results SNS are both ubiquitous—used by 70% of adolescents—and engaging, given that 40% of users spend 2 or more hours daily on SNS (labeled heavier SNS use ). Heavier SNS use was associated with more internalizing problems, and the relation was consistently more pronounced among younger adolescents. Moreover, heavier SNS use was associated with lower academic performance and lower activities scores, especially for younger adolescents. In contrast, among older adolescents heavier SNS use was positively associated with offline social competence. Conclusions Although heavier SNS use is associated with higher social competence for older adolescents, it is also associated with increased internalizing problems and diminished competencies in academics and activities, especially for younger adolescents. Age, capturing developmental differences in social and regulatory skills, appears to moderate the effects of heavier SNS use on adolescent functioning.
The increasing use of the Internet and social network sites (SNS) has created a new domain of socio-emotional development for adolescents. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore ...cybervictimization across seven European countries, in relation to socio-demographic, Internet use and psychosocial variables.
A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in the participating countries: Germany, Greece, Iceland the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires included sociodemographic data, internet usage characteristics, school achievement, parental control, the Internet Addiction Test and Achenbach's Youth Self-Report.
The highest rate of cyber victimization was found in Romania (37.3%) and the lowest in Spain (13.3%). Multiple logistic regression analyses gave differing results between countries. In Romania, Poland and Germany cyberbullying victimization was associated with SNS use, whereas Internet use was associated with increased odds of cybervictimization only in Romania. Cybervictimization was associated with greater internalizing behavior problems in all countries analysed, and with externalizing problems in all except Romania.
Cyberbullying victimization is an on-going problem, which is subject to country-specific socio-demographic factors and diverse patterns of current Internet use and its development. Preventive measures should emphasize the integration of Internet communication technology education in educational contexts, and focus on the consistent association between cybervictimization and internalizing and externalizing difficulties.
Purpose
Worldwide, concern has grown over the expansion of gambling among adolescents, who have an increased likelihood of developing risk-taking behaviors. This study aimed to increase knowledge of ...problem gambling among adolescents in seven European countries and to assess the effect of demographic and lifestyle factors recorded in the European Network for Addictive Behavior survey (
https://www.eunetadb.eu
).
Methods
A cross-sectional school-based study (
n
= 13,284) was conducted in Germany, Greece, Iceland, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires included socio-demographic data, internet usage characteristics, school achievement, parental control, the Internet Addiction Test, the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents Test and Achenbach’s Youth Self-Report.
Results
12.5% of the participants reported last year gambling activities either online or offline. 3.6% of the study participants and 28.1% of gamblers (either online or offline) were at risk or had a gambling problem. The study results showed that a higher proportion of adolescents was either at risk or had a gambling problem among males, in the older age group, when the parental educational level was lower/middle, and in the absence of siblings. Furthermore, being at risk or having a gambling problem was associated with lower age at first use of the internet, lower school grades, using the internet 6–7 days per week, and problematic internet use. At risk or problem gamblers had higher scores on all scales of problem behavior and lower scores (lower competence) on activities and academic performance.
Conclusions
Our findings underline the need for better gambling legislation and suggest the importance of developing social responsibility tools that may help diminish adolescent gambling involvement, with special attention to males.
Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the association of gut microbiota with health conditions and the potentially beneficial role of several types of biotics in several population ...groups, including children and adolescents. Children and adolescents comprise a unique population group due their rapid growth rates, high nutritional requirements, the immaturity of their immune system in early life, and their susceptibility to infectious diseases. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role and limitations of the administration of biotics in specific conditions affecting children and adolescents. A narrative review of related articles published on PubMed up to October 2023 was conducted. The administration of biotics has been evaluated in several health conditions among children and adolescents, such as the treatment and prevention of infectious diarrhea, the prevention of diarrhea after the use of antibiotics, the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis, the treatment of functional gastrointestinal diseases, such as infant colic, functional abdominal pain, and irritable bowel syndrome, the eradication of
, the treatment of ulcerative colitis and pouchitis, and the prevention of atopic dermatitis, and the findings indicate improved symptoms and various beneficial health outcomes. However, some limitations have been identified regarding probiotics' use. In conclusion, biotics may have a beneficial impact in several health conditions among children and adolescents. There is a need for additional randomized, controlled clinical studies on the effects of the administration of biotics in children and particularly in adolescents and young adults.
Problematic internet use (PIU) is associated with a plethora of psychosocial adversities. The study objectives were to assess the determinants and psychosocial implications associated with potential ...PIU and PIU among adolescents.
A cross-sectional study design was applied among a random sample (n = 866) of Greek adolescents (mean age: 14.7 years). Self-completed questionnaires, including internet use characteristics, Young Internet Addiction Test, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, were utilized to examine the study objectives.
Among the study population, the prevalence rates of potential PIU and PIU were 19.4% and 1.5%, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that male gender (Odds Ratio, OR: 2.01; 95% Confidence Interval, 95% CI: 1.35-3.00), as well as utilizing the internet for retrieving sexual information (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.53-4.12), interactive game playing (OR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.21-2.82), and socialization, including chat-room use (OR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.36-2.86) and email (OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.05-2.24), were independently associated with potential PIU and PIU. Adolescents with potential PIU had an increased likelihood of concomitantly presenting with hyperactivity (OR: 4.39; 95% CI: 2.03-9.52) and conduct (OR: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.46-4.50) problems. Moreover, adolescent PIU was significantly associated with hyperactivity (OR: 9.96; 95% CI: 1.76-56.20) and conduct (OR: 8.39; 95% CI: 2.04-34.56) problems, as well as comprehensive psychosocial maladjustment (OR: 8.08; 95% CI: 1.44-45.34).
The determinants of potential PIU and PIU include accessing the internet for the purposes of retrieving sexual information, game playing, and socialization. Furthermore, both potential PIU and PIU are adversely associated with notable behavioral and social maladjustment among adolescents.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to special circumstances and changes to everyday life due to the worldwide measures that were imposed such as lockdowns. This review aims to evaluate obesity in ...children, adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A literature search was conducted to evaluate pertinent studies up to 10 November 2020.
A total of 15 articles were eligible; 9 identified 17,028,111 children, adolescents and young adults from 5-25 years old, 5 pertained to studies with an age admixture (
= 20,521) and one study included parents with children 5-18 years old (
= 584). During the COVID-19 era, children, adolescents and young adults gained weight. Changes in dietary behaviors, increased food intake and unhealthy food choices including potatoes, meat and sugary drinks were noted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Food insecurity associated with financial reasons represents another concern. Moreover, as the restrictions imposed reduced movements out of the house, physical activity was limited, representing another risk factor for weight gain.
COVID-19 restrictions disrupted the everyday routine of children, adolescents and young adults and elicited changes in their eating behaviors and physical activity. To protect them, health care providers should highlight the risk of obesity and provide prevention strategies, ensuring also parental participation. Worldwide policies, guidelines and precautionary measures should ideally be established.
High online engagement is common among adolescents. Besides concerns, not all highly involved adolescents online develop maladaptive patterns of use. The focus of the present qualitative study was to ...explore the experiences of highly engaged adolescents with signs of internet addictive behaviors. We aimed to uncover the processes differentiating high online engagement, and formulate a typology of users. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 72 adolescents (Mage = 15.7 years; SD = 0.6) living in Greece, Spain, Iceland and Poland. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory. A typology of highly engaged adolescents emerged based on three processes: satisfying needs across contexts (online-offline), experiencing personal gains and losses and self-regulating use. Four distinct user profiles emerged, ranging from adaptive (Juggling it All, Coming Full Cycle) to maladaptive (Stuck Online, Killing Boredom). The developed typology can help parents, teachers and professionals better understand the ways high engagement is experienced within a developmental context. Such knowledge can inform the development of prevention and supportive services. Implications for assessment and intervention are discussed for each profile.
•Not all adolescents highly engaged online develop maladaptive internet use.•Four profiles of highly engaged adolescents emerged from three distinct processes.•The typology can inform the development of assessment and targeted interventions.
As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, conventional ways of schooling were not possible, and in order to continue the educational process new digital resources, such as online learning platforms, were ...imposed. Although virtual courses provided high-quality educational material, the efficiency in children's and adolescents' academic performance in general is yet to be known. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine whether the academic performance of school-aged students was impacted or not through online learning and modified educational methods during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to the studies, either students suffered from learning losses comparing to pre-pandemic years or, in some cases, they benefited from online learning, especially in mathematics. Younger students and students with neurodevelopmental disorders or special education needs seemed to suffer more. Parents/caregivers reported that their children's performance deteriorated, while others thought that online learning was beneficial. Teachers also reported that students presented academic gaps and difficulties in mathematics and reading compared to typical years. Consequently, the new ways of schooling imposed by the restrictions have not been fully tested and the impact cannot be described thoroughly. The investment in technological equipment in schools for the majority of students, along with the training of teachers in digital competence, should be a priority.
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